WCA Regulations

Notes

WCA Regulations and Guidelines

The WCA Regulations contain the full set of Regulations that apply to all official competitions sanctioned by the World Cube Association.
The WCA Regulations are also supplemented by the WCA Guidelines. The Regulations should be considered a complete document, but the Guidelines contain additional clarifications and explanations.

1a) A competition must include a WCA Delegate and an organization team (consisting of one or more individuals) with the following officials: judges, scramblers and score takers.

1b) The organization team of a competition is responsible for logistics before, during, and after the competition.

1c) The WCA Delegate may delegate responsibilities to other members of the organization team, but is ultimately accountable for how these responsibilities are carried out. The WCA Delegate for a competition is responsible for:

1c1) Reporting to the WCA Board regarding adherence to WCA Regulations during the competition, the overall course of the competition, and any incidents. The report must be submitted to the WCA Board within one week of the end of the competition.

1c3) Sending the competition results to the WCA Results Team within one week of the end of the competition.

1c3a) All scramble sequences used during a competition must be sent with the results of the competition.

1c3b) All scramble sequences must be labeled with the events, rounds, and groups for which they were used.

1c4) Sending corrections to the competition results to the WCA Results Team.

1e1) A judge is responsible for executing the procedures of the event.

1e1a) A judge may judge multiple competitors simultaneously at the discretion of the WCA Delegate, as long as the judge is able to ensure that all WCA Regulations are followed at all times.

1e2) Every competitor must be available for judging. If required to judge, a competitor may be excused only for a legitimate reason (e.g. being unfamiliar with a puzzle), at the discretion of the WCA Delegate. Penalty: disqualification from the competition (see Regulation 2k).

1f) Each event must have one or more scramblers. Exception: Fewest Moves Solving.

1f2) Every competitor must be available for scrambling. If required to scramble, a competitor may be excused only for a legitimate reason (e.g. being unfamiliar with scrambling notation), at the discretion of the WCA Delegate. Penalty: disqualification from the competition (see Regulation 2k).

1g2) Changes to the result on a score sheet are only permitted at the discretion of the WCA Delegate.

1h) Competitors in the same round of an event may be divided into groups.

1h1) Scramblers and judges for a round should not scramble for/judge competitors in their own group before they have finished all of their attempts for the round. They may scramble for/judge competitors in their own group at the discretion of the WCA Delegate, but the organization team must ensure that scramblers and judges cannot see any scramble sequences for their attempts that they have not attempted yet.

2c1) A competitor is not eligible to compete without a completed registration, as determined by the organization team.

2d) A competitor's name, country, gender, and competition results are considered public information. All other personal information is considered confidential, and must not be disclosed to outside organizations/persons without the consent of the competitor.

2e) Competitors must represent a country of which they hold citizenship. The WCA Delegate should verify citizenship by means of documents (e.g. a passport) at their first competition. If a competitor is found ineligible to represent the country under which they have registered, the competitor may be disqualified retroactively and/or suspended, at the discretion of the WCA Board.

2e2) Competitors with updates to their citizenship status may change their country of representation before or at their first competition of a calendar year. Exception: if the competitor loses citizenship of the country which they were previously representing, they must change the country of representation before or at their next competition.

2f) Competitors must obey venue rules and conduct themselves in a considerate manner.

2g) Competitors must remain quiet when inside the designated competition area. Talking is permitted, but must be kept at a reasonable level, and away from competitors who are actively competing.

2g3) Competitors in the Competitors Area must not communicate with each other about the scrambled states of the puzzles of the round in progress. Penalty: disqualification of the competitor from the event, at the discretion of the WCA Delegate.

2h) Competitors must be fully dressed while in the competition venue. At the discretion of the WCA Delegate, competitors may be disqualified from the competition for inappropriate clothing.

2i1) Competitors may use non-electronic aids that do not give an unfair advantage, at the discretion of the WCA Delegate. This includes:

2i1a) Medical/physical aids worn by the competitor (e.g. glasses, wrist brace). As an exception to Regulation 2i, medical aids may be electronic if the competitor does not have comfortable non-electronic alternatives (e.g. if competitor has a personal hearing aid or pacemaker).

2i1b) Earplugs and earmuffs (but not electronic headphones and earbuds).

2i2) Competitors may use cameras at the solving station at the discretion of the WCA Delegate, but the following restrictions apply from the start of the attempt until the competitor stops the solve. Penalty for breaking a restriction: disqualification of the attempt (DNF).

2i2a) Each camera monitor must be blank or out of sight of the competitor (see Regulation A5b).

2i2b) The competitor must not interact with (e.g. operate, hold, wear) any active camera. Exception: the competitor may wear a camera mounted on their head, as long as it is out of their sight and it is clear that they are not interacting with it (apart from wearing it).

2j) The WCA Delegate may disqualify a competitor from a specific event.

2j1) If a competitor is disqualified from an event for any reason, they are not eligible for any more attempts in the event.

2j1a) The results of all remaining attempts in the event are recorded as DNF.

2j2) If a competitor is disqualified during the course of an event, their earlier results remain valid. Exception: cheating or defrauding (see Regulation 2k2a).

2k) At the discretion of the WCA Delegate, a competitor may be disqualified from some events (a single event, multiple events, or all events) if the competitor:

2n1) Disputes are only permitted during the competition, within 30 minutes after the disputed incident happened and before the start of any following rounds of the relevant event.

2n2) The WCA Delegate must resolve the dispute before the start of the next round of the event.

2n3) The competitor must accept all final rulings of the WCA Delegate. Penalty: disqualification from the competition.

2s) Competitors with disabilities that may prevent them from abiding by one or more WCA Regulations may request special accommodations from the WCA Delegate. Competitors requesting such accommodations should contact the organization team and WCA Delegate at least two weeks before the competition.

2t) Each competitor must be familiar with and understand the WCA Regulations before the competition.

2u) Competitors must be present and ready to compete when they are called to compete for an attempt. Penalty: disqualification from the event.

2u1) Exception: A competitor who is not present in time for an individually scheduled attempt (e.g. a Fewest Moves attempt, a Multiple Blindfolded attempt) may be considered to have declined that attempt (DNS), at the discretion of the WCA Delegate.

3a1) Competitors must be ready to submit their puzzles when they are called (see Regulation 2u).

3a2) Puzzles must be fully operational, such that normal scrambling is possible.

3a3) Polyhedral puzzles must use a color scheme with one unique color per face in the solved state. Each puzzle variation must have moves, states, and solutions functionally identical to the original puzzle.

3d) Puzzles must have colored parts, which define the color scheme of the puzzle and must be one and only one of the following: colored stickers, colored tiles, colored plastic, or painted/printed colors. All colored parts of a puzzle must be made of a similar material.

3d1) For competitors with a medically documented visual disability, the following exceptions apply:

3d1a) Blind competitors may use textured puzzles with different textures on different faces. Each face should have a distinct color, to aid in scrambling and judging.

3d1b) Color blind competitors who cannot distinguish between the necessary number of colors may use colored parts with patterns, if it has been explicitly approved according to Regulation 2s. Patterns may come from stickers or be drawn.

3d2) The colors of the colored parts must be solid, with one uniform color per face. Each color must be clearly distinct from the other colors.

3h) Modifications that enhance the basic concept of a puzzle are not permitted. Modified versions of puzzles are permitted only if the modification does not make any additional information available to the competitor (e.g. orientation or identity of pieces), compared to an unmodified version of the same puzzle.

3h3) Any modifications to a puzzle that result in poor performance by a competitor are not grounds for additional attempts.

3h4) For Clock, custom "inserts" (the same shape and size as the traditional paper inserts) are permitted, at the discretion of the WCA Delegate. The inserts must have a clear indication of 12 o'clock that matches the original inserts.

3j) Puzzles must be clean, and must not have any markings, elevated pieces, damage, or other differences that significantly distinguish any piece from a similar piece. Exception: a logo (see Regulation 3l).

3j1) Puzzles are permitted to have reasonable wear, at the discretion of the WCA Delegate.

3j2) Definition: Two pieces are similar to each other if they are identical in shape and size, or mirrored in shape and identical in size.

3j3) Corrugated/textured parts which permit the orientation of pieces to be distinguished by feel are not permitted for blindfolded events.

3k) Puzzles should be approved by the WCA Delegate before use in the competition.

3k1) If a puzzle is found to be not permitted during a round, the competitor must submit a replacement.

3k2) Penalty for attempts done with not permitted puzzles: disqualification of the attempt (DNF). Exception: If a puzzle is found to be not permitted during a round, earlier results may be replaced with an extra attempt, at the discretion of the WCA Delegate.

3l) A puzzle may have a logo on a colored part. If it does, it must have at most one colored part with a logo. Exception: For blindfolded events, a puzzle must not have a logo.

3l1) The logo must be placed on a center piece. Exceptions for puzzles that do not have center pieces:

4b) Puzzles must be scrambled using computer-generated random scramble sequences.

4b1) Generated scramble sequences must not be inspected before the competition, and must not be filtered or selected in any way by the WCA Delegate.

4b2) Scramble sequences for a round must be available only to the WCA Delegate and the scramblers for the event, until the end of the round. Exception: For Fewest Moves Solving, competitors receive scrambling sequences during the round (see Article E).

4b3) Specification for a scramble program: An official scramble sequence must produce a random state from those that require at least 2 moves to solve (equal probability for each state). The following additions/exceptions apply:

4b3a) For blindfolded events, the scramble sequence must orient the puzzle randomly (equal probability for each orientation).

4b3b) 2x2x2 Cube: The (random) state must require at least 4 moves to solve.

4b3c) Skewb: The (random) state must require at least 7 moves to solve.

4b3d) Square-1: The (random) state must require at least 11 moves to solve.

4d1) NxNxN puzzles and Megaminx are scrambled starting with the white face (if not possible, then the lightest face) on top and the green face (if not possible, then the darkest adjacent face) on the front.

4d2) Pyraminx is scrambled starting with the yellow face (if not possible, then the lightest face) on bottom and the green face (if not possible, then the darkest adjacent face) on the front.

4d3) Square-1 is scrambled starting with the darker color on front (out of the 2 possible scrambling orientations).

4d4) Clock is scrambled starting with either side in front and 12 o'clock pointing up.

4d5) Skewb is scrambled starting with the white face (if not possible, then the lightest face) on top and the green face (if not possible, then the darkest adjacent face) on the front-left.

4f) Competition scramble sequences must be generated using a current official version of an official WCA scramble program (available via the WCA website).

4g) After scrambling a puzzle, the scrambler must verify that the puzzle is scrambled correctly. If the puzzle state is wrong, the scrambler must correct it (e.g. by solving the puzzle and applying the scramble sequence again).

4g1) Exception: For the 6x6x6 Cube, 7x7x7 Cube, and Megaminx, it is not necessary to correct the puzzle state, at the discretion of the WCA Delegate.

5b) If a puzzle defect occurs during an attempt, the competitor may choose to either repair the defect and continue the attempt, or to stop the attempt.

5b1) If a competitor chooses to repair the puzzle, they must repair only the defective parts. Tools and/or parts of other puzzles must not be used to repair the original puzzle. Penalty: disqualification of the attempt (DNF).

5b2) Any repair to a puzzle must not give the competitor any advantage in solving the puzzle. Penalty: disqualification of the attempt (DNF).

5b3a) If any parts have fallen out or moved out of place, the competitor may place them back.

5b3b) If, after repairing the puzzle but before the end of the attempt, the competitor finds that the puzzle is unsolvable, they may disassemble and reassemble a maximum of 4 pieces to make the puzzle solvable.

5b3c) If the puzzle is unsolvable, and can be made solvable by rotating a single corner piece, the competitor may correct the corner piece by twisting it in place without disassembling the puzzle.

5b4) During a blindfolded phase (see Regulation B4), all repairs must be performed blindfolded. Penalty: disqualification of the attempt (DNF).

5b5) If at the end of the attempt some parts of the puzzle are physically detached or not fully placed, the following regulations apply:

5b5a) If one or more parts without colored faces is affected, the puzzle is considered solved.

5b5b) If one part with one colored face is affected, the puzzle is considered solved.

5b5c) If more than one part with one colored face is affected, the puzzle is considered unsolved (DNF).

5b5d) If one or more parts with more than one colored face is affected, the puzzle is considered unsolved (DNF).

8a4) Be announced on the WCA website at least four weeks before the start of the competition. Exception: In special cases, competitions may be announced up to two weeks before, at the discretion of the WCA Board.

9b1a) Round format for these events is: "Average of 5". For a Combined Round the round format is "Best of 2" for the first phase and "Average of 5" for the second phase. Exception: In special cases, the round format for these events can be "Best of X" (where X is 1, 2, or 3), at the discretion of the WCA Board.

9f1) All timed results under 10 minutes are measured and truncated to the nearest hundredth of a second. All timed averages and means under 10 minutes are measured and rounded to the nearest hundredth of a second.

9f2) All timed results, averages, and means over 10 minutes are measured and rounded to the nearest second (e.g. x.4 becomes x, x.5 becomes x+1).

9f4) The result of an attempt is recorded as DNF (Did Not Finish) if the attempt is disqualified or unsolved/unfinished.

9f5) The result of an attempt is recorded as DNS (Did Not Start) if the competitor is eligible for an attempt but declines it.

9f6) For "Best of X" rounds, each competitor is allotted X attempts. The best result of these attempts counts for the competitor's ranking in the round.

9f7) For "Best of X" rounds, a DNF or DNS is the worst possible result.

9f8) For "Average of 5" rounds, competitors are allotted 5 attempts. Of these 5 attempts, the best and worst attempts are removed, and the arithmetic mean of the remaining 3 attempts counts for the competitor's ranking in the round.

9f9) For "Average of 5" rounds, one DNF or DNS is permitted to count as the competitor's worst result of the round. If a competitor has more than one DNF and/or DNS result in the round, their average result for the round is DNF.

9f10) For "Mean of 3" rounds competitors are allotted 3 attempts. The arithmetic mean of the 3 attempts counts for the competitor's ranking in the round.

9f11) For "Mean of 3" rounds, if the competitor has at least one DNF or DNS result, their average result for the round is DNF.

9f12) For "Best of X" rounds, rankings are assessed based on the best result per competitor. The following are used to compare results:

9f12b) For Fewest Moves Solving, "better" is defined as the shorter solution length.

9f12c) For Multiple Blindfolded Solving, rankings are assessed based on number of puzzles solved minus the number of puzzles not solved, where a greater difference is better. If the difference is less than 0, or if only 1 puzzle is solved, the attempt is considered unsolved (DNF). If competitors achieve the same result, rankings are assessed based on total time, where the shorter recorded time is better. If competitors achieve the same result and the same time, rankings are assessed based on the number of puzzles the competitors failed to solve, where fewer unsolved puzzles is better.

9f13) For "Mean of 3" and "Average of 5" rounds, rankings are assessed based on the ordering of the averages/means of the competitors, where "better" is the shorter recorded time.

9f14) For "Mean of 3" and "Average of 5" rounds, if two or more competitors achieve identical average/mean results, rankings are assessed based on the best attempt per competitor, where "better" is defined as the shorter time.

9f15) Competitors who achieve the same result in a round receive an identical ranking for the round.

9g) A Combined Round consists of two phases of attempts, where competitors advance to the second phase if they meet a designated cutoff during the first phase.

9g2) Whether a competitor proceeds to next phase of a Combined round must be decided by result (all competitors with a better result than x) of the first phase (see Regulation 9f12).

9i) Results of official WCA competitions must be listed on the WCA world rankings.

9i1) The WCA recognizes the following types of regional records: national records, continental records, and world records.

9i2) All the results of a round are considered to take place on the last calendar date of the round. If a regional record is broken multiple times on the same calendar date, only the best result is recognized as breaking that regional record.

9i3) If the WCA Regulations for an event are changed, existing regional records stand until they are broken under the new WCA Regulations.

9p1) At least 25% of competitors must be eliminated between consecutive rounds of the same event.

9p2) The competitors who advance to the next round must be determined by ranking (best x competitors) or by result (all competitors with a better result than x) in the preceding round.

9p2a) For each round, advancement conditions must be announced before the round starts, and should not be changed after it has begun. Changes must be made at the discretion of the WCA Delegate, who must carefully consider the fairness of the change.

9p3) If a qualifying competitor withdraws from a round, they may be replaced by the best-ranked non-qualifying competitor from the preceding round.

10d) All parts of a puzzle must be physically attached to the puzzle and fully placed in their required positions. Exception: see Regulation 5b5.

10e) A puzzle is solved when all colored parts are reassembled and all parts are aligned within the limits specified below:

10e1) For each two adjacent parts (e.g. two parallel, adjacent slices of a cube) of the puzzle that are misaligned more than the limit described in Regulation 10f, the puzzle is considered to require one additional move to solve (see "Outer Block Turn Metric" in Article 12).

10e2) If no further moves are required to bring the puzzle to its solved state, the puzzle is considered solved without penalty.

10e3) If one move is required, the puzzle is be considered solved with a time penalty (+2 seconds).

10e4) If more than one move is required, the puzzle is considered unsolved (DNF).

11b) If an incident occurs, the WCA Delegate determines an impartial and appropriate course of action.

11d) If the WCA Regulations are not fully clear or if the incident is not covered by the WCA Regulations, then the WCA Delegate must make a decision based on fair sportsmanship (also see Regulation 11e3).

11e) If an incident occurs during an attempt, the WCA Delegate may grant a competitor an extra attempt, replacing the attempt during which the incident occurred. The competitor must appeal verbally or in writing to the judge and WCA Delegate at the time of the incident, before finishing the original attempt, to be eligible for an extra attempt. An appeal does not guarantee the competitor an extra attempt.

11e1) If a competitor is granted an extra attempt, the extra attempt must be scrambled using a different scramble sequence. This scramble sequence must be generated using a current official version of an official WCA scramble program (see Regulation 4f).

11e2) If a competitor is granted an extra attempt, the extra attempt should be done right after the attempt that caused it, and must replace the original regularly numbered attempt.

11e3) If it is unclear whether an incident should result in an extra attempt, the competitor may be granted a provisional extra attempt that will be used only if it is later found that an extra attempt was appropriate (e.g. by a decision of the WRC).

11f) Decisions about an incident may be supported with video or photographic analysis, at the discretion of the WCA Delegate.

12h1) The puzzle is oriented with three faces fully visible, where the upper face is on top.

12h2) Clockwise, 120 degrees: R (the layer around the farthest visible bottom-right vertex), U (the layer around the farthest visible upper vertex), L (the layer around the farthest visible bottom-left vertex), B (the layer around the farthest non-visible back vertex).

12h3) Counter-clockwise, 120 degrees: R' (the layer around the farthest visible bottom-right vertex), U' (the layer around the farthest visible upper vertex), L' (the layer around the farthest visible bottom-left vertex), B' (the layer around the farthest non-visible back vertex).

A1a) The organization team must enforce time limits for solves and/or rounds.

A1a1) The default time limit per solve is 10 minutes, though the organization team may announce a higher or lower time limit.

A1a2) Cumulative time limits may be enforced (e.g. 3 solves with a cumulative time limit of 20 minutes - see Regulation A1a5). The time elapsed in a DNF result counts towards the cumulative time limit.

A1a3) For each round, any time limits must be announced before the round starts, and should not be changed after it has begun. Changes must be made at the discretion of the WCA Delegate, who must carefully consider the fairness of the change.

A1a4) The competitor must end each solve within the time limit. If a competitor reaches the time limit for a solve/round, the judge stops the solve immediately and records the result as DNF. Exception: Multiple Blindfolded Solving (see Regulation H1b1).

A1a5) A solve is considered to meet the time limit if and only if the final result, after any time penalties are applied, is less than the time limit. Exception: Multiple Blindfolded Solving (see Regulation H1b1).

A1b) If the time limit for a solve is greater than 10 minutes, a stopwatch must be used for timekeeping.

A1b1) A Stackmat must be used in addition to the stopwatch. Exception: for events without inspection where the competitor is expected to exceed 10 minutes, use of the Stackmat is optional.

A1b2) If a time from the Stackmat timer is available, it is the original recorded time. Otherwise, the stopwatch time is the original recorded time.

A1c) A competitor participating in an event must be able to fulfill the event's requirements (e.g. know how to solve the puzzle). A competitor must not compete with expectation of a DNF result or an intentionally poor result. Penalty: disqualification of the attempt (DNF) or disqualification from the event (see Regulation 2j), at the discretion of the WCA Delegate.

A2a) When called for a round, the competitor submits a puzzle, in its solved state, to the scrambler. The competitor then waits in the Competitors Area until they are called to compete.

A2b) A scrambler scrambles the puzzle according to the regulations in Article 4.

A2b1) For Square-1, the organization team may enforce placing a thin object in the puzzle to prevent accidental moves being applied before the start of the attempt. If these objects are used, this must be announced before the round starts.

A2c) After the scrambler starts scrambling the puzzle, the competitor must not see the puzzle until the inspection phase starts.

A2c1) The scrambler places a cover over the scrambled puzzle that makes it impossible for any competitors or spectators to see any part of the puzzle. The cover remains over the puzzle until the start of the attempt.

A2d) When taking a puzzle from the scrambler, the judge briefly inspects the puzzle to ensure thorough scrambling of the puzzle. The judge raises any concerns with the scrambler, who then conducts a detailed check.

A2d1) The organization team may require scramblers to take additional measures to make sure that they have applied the correct scramble sequence (e.g. signing the score sheet to affirm that they applied the correctly-numbered scramble sequence and checked that it matches the image, or using an additional person as "scramble checker").

A2e) The judge places the puzzle onto the mat in an arbitrary orientation while ensuring that it remains completely covered.

A2e1) The competitor is not permitted to request a specific orientation, and the judge must not influence the orientation they place the puzzle on the mat based on what they know or expect the puzzle state to be.

A3a) The competitor may inspect the puzzle at the start of each attempt.

A3a1) The competitor is allotted a maximum of 15 seconds to inspect the puzzle and start the solve.

A3b) The judge prepares the timer by turning it on and resetting if necessary. Separately, the judge also prepares a stopwatch for timing inspection.

A3b1) When the judge believes the competitor is ready, the judge asks "READY?". The competitor must be ready to start the attempt within one minute of being called, else the competitor forfeits the attempt (DNS), at the discretion of the judge.

A3b2) The competitor starts the attempt by confirming that they are ready, and the judge uncovers the puzzle and starts timing the inspection.

A3c1) The competitor must not apply moves during inspection. Penalty: disqualification of the attempt (DNF).

A3c2) If the parts of the puzzle are not fully aligned, then the competitor may align the faces, as long as misalignments stay within the limits of Regulation 10f.

A3c3) The competitor may reset the timer before the start of the solve.

A3c4) For Square-1, if the use of a thin object inside the puzzle has been enforced by the organization team (see Regulation A2b1), the competitor may remove the object from the puzzle during inspection.

A3d) At the end of the inspection, the competitor places the puzzle on the mat, in any orientation. Penalty for placing it outside the mat: time penalty (+2 seconds).

A3d2) When 8 seconds of inspection have elapsed, the judge calls "8 SECONDS".

A3d3) When 12 seconds of inspection have elapsed, the judge calls "12 SECONDS".

A4b) The competitor uses their fingers to touch the elevated sensor surfaces of the timer. The competitor's palms must be facing down, and located on the side of the timer that is closer to the competitor. Penalty: time penalty (+2 seconds).

A4b1) The competitor must have no physical contact with the puzzle between the inspection period and the start of the solve. Penalty: time penalty (+2 seconds).

A4d) If a Stackmat timer is in use, the competitor starts the solve by confirming that the timer light is green and then removing their hands from the timer (thus starting the timer).

A4d1) The competitor must start the solve within 15 seconds of the start of the inspection. Penalty: time penalty (+2 seconds).

A4d2) The competitor must start the solve within 17 seconds of the start of the inspection. Penalty: disqualification of the attempt (DNF).

A4d3) If a stopwatch is in use, the judge starts the stopwatch as soon as the competitor starts the solve.

A5a) While inspecting or solving the puzzle, the competitor must not communicate with anyone other than the judge or the WCA Delegate. Penalty: disqualification of the attempt (DNF).

A5b) While inspecting or solving the puzzle, the competitor must not receive assistance from anyone or any object other than the surface (also see Regulation 2i). Penalty: disqualification of the attempt (DNF).

A6a) The competitor stops the solve by releasing the puzzle and then stopping the timer. If a stopwatch is in use, the judge stops the stopwatch as soon as the competitor does this.

A6a1) When using a stopwatch as the only timer, the competitor ends the solve by releasing the puzzle and notifying the judge that they have stopped the solve. The judge stops the stopwatch as soon as the competitor does this.

A6a2) When using a stopwatch as the only timer, the competitor's default notification signal consists of releasing the puzzle(s) from their hands and placing their hands on the surface, with palms down. The competitor and the judge may agree on another appropriate notification before the start of the attempt.

A6b) The competitor is responsible for stopping the Stackmat timer correctly.

A6b1) If the timer stops before the end of the solve and the timer shows a time strictly below 0.06 seconds, then the attempt is replaced by an extra attempt. A competitor forfeits the right to the additional attempt if the WCA Delegate determines that the timer was stopped deliberately.

A6b2) If the timer stops before the end of the solve and displays a time of 0.06 seconds or higher, then the attempt is disqualified (DNF). Exception: if the competitor can demonstrate that the timer malfunctioned, they may receive an extra attempt, at the discretion of the WCA Delegate.

A6c) The competitor must fully release the puzzle before stopping the timer. Penalty: disqualification of the attempt (DNF). Exception: If no moves have been applied after stopping the timer and before releasing the puzzle, a time penalty (+2 seconds) may be assigned instead, at the discretion of the judge.

A6d) The competitor must stop the timer using both hands, placed flat on the sensors with palms down. Penalty: time penalty (+2 seconds).

A6e) After releasing the puzzle, the competitor must not touch or move the puzzle until the judge has inspected the puzzle. Penalty: disqualification of the attempt (DNF). Exception: If no moves have been applied, a time penalty (+2 seconds) may be assigned instead, at the discretion of the judge.

A6f) The competitor must not reset the timer until the judge has recorded the result on the score sheet. Penalty: disqualification of the attempt (DNF), at the discretion of the judge.

A6f1) If the competitor resets the timer before the result has been completely recorded, the judge must not write down the result from memory or from video or photographic evidence, and must disqualify the attempt instead (DNF).

A6g) The judge determines whether the puzzle is solved. They must not make moves or align faces when examining the puzzle. Exception: For Clock, the judge will usually need to pick up the puzzle to verify both faces.

A6h) In case of a dispute, moves or alignments must not be applied to the puzzle before the dispute is resolved.

A7b) The judge records the result on a score sheet and signs next to the result to acknowledge that the result is correct, complete, properly formatted, and clearly readable.

A7b1) If penalties are assigned, the judge records the original recorded time displayed on the timer, along with any penalties. The format should be "X + T + Y = F", where X represents the sum of time penalties before/starting the solve, T represents the time displayed on the timer (the "original recorded time"), Y represents a sum of time penalties during/after the solve, and F represents the final result (e.g. 2 + 17.65 + 2 = 21.65). If X and/or Y is 0, the 0 terms are omitted (e.g. 17.65 + 2 = 19.65).

A7c) The competitor must check the recorded result, and sign (or initial) the score sheet to acknowledge that the result is correct, complete, properly formatted, and clearly readable. This finishes the attempt.

A7c1) If the competitor or the judge refuses to accept and sign the score sheet, the WCA Delegate must resolve the dispute.

A7c2) If the competitor signs (or otherwise marks) an attempt before they have begun it, they forfeit the attempt and the result will be considered DNS.

A7c3) If the competitor signs (or otherwise marks) an attempt after starting the attempt but before the judge has finished recording the result, the attempt will be considered unfinished (DNF).

A7c4) The competitor should not sign an attempt before the judge has recorded and signed the attempt. The competitor is ultimately responsible for ensuring that they and the judge have signed an attempt. If an attempt is found to be missing one or both signatures after the judge delivered the score sheet to the score taker (see Regulation A7f), it will be considered unfinished (DNF).

A7f) When a competitor's score sheet for a round is complete, the judge delivers the score sheet to the score taker.

A7g) At the discretion of the WCA Delegate, an incident or penalty caused by a new competitor's inexperience may be replaced with an extra attempt.

B2a) The judge resets the timer(s) and asks "READY?" as in Regulation A3b1. The competitor must be ready to start the attempt within one minute of being called, else the competitor forfeits the attempt (DNS), at the discretion of the judge.

B2b) The competitor uses their fingers to touch the elevated sensor surfaces of the timer. The competitor's palms must be facing down, and located on the side of the timer that is closer to them. Penalty: time penalty (+2 seconds).

B2c) The competitor must have no physical contact with the puzzle before the start of the attempt. Penalty: time penalty (+2 seconds).

B2d) The competitor starts the attempt by removing their hands from the timer, thus starting the timer. (This also starts the solve.)

B2d1) The competitor removes the cover from the puzzle after starting the timer.

B2e) If a stopwatch is in use in addition to a Stackmat timer, the judge starts the stopwatch as soon as the competitor starts the solve.

B2f) If a stopwatch is in use as the only timer, the competitor places their hands on the table (instead of a Stackmat timer). After confirming that they are ready, the competitor starts the solve by lifting the cover. The judge starts the stopwatch as soon as the competitor starts the solve.

B4a) The competitor dons the blindfold to start the blindfolded phase.

B4b) The competitor must not apply moves to the puzzle before they have fully donned the blindfold. Penalty: disqualification of the attempt (DNF).

B4c) The judge must ensure that there is an opaque object between the competitor's face and the puzzle while the competitor is solving.

B4c1) In all cases, the competitor must wear the blindfold such that their view of the puzzle would still clearly be blocked if the opaque object were not in the way.

B4c2) By default, the judge should place the object (e.g. a sheet of paper or cardboard) between the competitor and the puzzle while the competitor is wearing the blindfold.

B4c3) If the judge and competitor agree beforehand, the competitor may choose to place the puzzle behind a suitable object (e.g. a music stand, the surface of the table) by themselves during the blindfolded phase.

B4d) The competitor must not look at the puzzle at any point during the blindfolded phase. Penalty: disqualification of the attempt (DNF).

B4e) Until the competitor applies the first move to the puzzle, they may remove the blindfold to return to the memorization phase.

B5a) When using the Stackmat timer, the competitor stops the solve by releasing the puzzle and then stopping the timer.

B5b) When using a stopwatch, the competitor stops the solve by placing the puzzle back onto the surface and notifying the judge that they are stopping the solve. At that moment, the judge stops the timer.

B5c) If the competitor is not touching the puzzle, they may remove the blindfold before they stop the timer. They must not touch the puzzle until the end of the attempt. Penalty for touching the puzzle: disqualification of the attempt (DNF).

C1) Standard speed solving procedures are followed, as described in Article A (Speed Solving). Additional regulations that supersede the corresponding procedures in Article A are described below.

C1b) During the solve, the competitor must use only one hand to operate the puzzle. Penalty: disqualification of the attempt (DNF).

C1b2) If a puzzle defect occurs, and the competitor chooses to repair it, they must repair it using only the solving hand. Penalty: disqualification of the attempt (DNF).

C1b3) If other body parts of the competitor come in contact with the puzzle or parts of the puzzle without the competitor's intention and without applying moves, this is not considered operating the puzzle, at the discretion of the judge.

C1c) During the solve, once a competitor operates the puzzle with one hand, they must not operate the puzzle with the other hand. Penalty: disqualification of the attempt (DNF).

E2a) The judge distributes a scramble sequence to all competitors. The judge then starts the stopwatch and calls "GO".

E2b) All competitors have a total time limit of 60 minutes to devise a solution.

E2b1) The judge should call "5 MINUTES REMAINING" at 55 minutes, and must call "STOP" at 60 minutes.

E2c) At 60 minutes, each competitor must give the judge a legibly written solution with the competitor's name, using the notation defined for Outer Block Turn Metric (described in Regulation 12a). Penalty: disqualification of the attempt (DNF).

E2d) The length of the solution is calculated in Outer Block Turn Metric (see Regulation 12a).

E2d1) The competitor is permitted a maximum solution length of 80 (moves and rotations).

E2e) The competitor's solution must not be directly derived from any part of the scramble sequence. Penalty: disqualification of the attempt (DNF), at the discretion of the WCA Delegate.

E2e1) The WCA Delegate may ask the competitor to explain the purpose of each move in their solution, irrespective of scrambling algorithm. If the competitor cannot give a valid explanation, the attempt is disqualified (DNF).

E3) The competitor may use the following objects during the attempt. Penalty for using unauthorized objects: disqualification of the attempt (DNF).

H1) Standard blindfolded solving procedures are followed, as described in Article B (Blindfolded Solving). Additional regulations that supersede the corresponding procedures in Article B are described below.

H1a) Before an attempt, the competitor must submit to the organization team the number of puzzles (at least 2) they wish to attempt.

H1a1) A competitor is not permitted to change the number of puzzles after submitting their number to the organization team.

H1a2) A competitor may request to keep their submission private until all competitors have submitted their numbers. Once all competitors have reported their numbers, the information becomes public (e.g. a competitor may ask for the numbers of any other competitors before starting their attempt).

H1a3) Before the attempt, the scrambled puzzles must be placed on the table in an arbitrary orientation while ensuring they remain completely covered. The puzzles should be arranged in shape as square as possible (e.g. 8 puzzles should be arranged in 2 rows with 3 puzzles and 1 row with 2 puzzles).

H1b) If a competitor is attempting fewer than 6 puzzles, they are allotted a time limit of 10 minutes times the number of puzzles in the attempt, else the time limit is 60 minutes.

H1b1) The competitor may signal the end of the attempt at any time. If and when the time limit is reached, the judge stops the attempt and the attempt is then scored; the time limit for the attempt counts as the original recorded time.

Organization teams may adopt optional regulations to facilitate the administration of the competition, at the discretion of the WCA Board.

Z1) The organization team may require competitors to submit puzzles during registration.

Z2) The organization team may limit the number of events per competitor.

Z3) The organization team may select competitors who directly qualify for certain rounds of certain events based on the results of specific previous competitions.

Z4) The organization team may limit the number of competitors per event or per competition, on either a "first come first serve" basis or based upon qualification results or rankings in the WCA world rankings of a previously announced calendar date. If the number of competitors per event or per competition is limited, the following regulations apply:

Z4a) If the limit for a competition or an event is reached before the competition, the organization team must not accept on-site registrations for the competition or the event.

Z4b) Competitor limits should be announced together with the competition. Any changes to competitor limits are at the discretion of the WCA Board.

Z4c) If there is more than one registration period, the organization team must announce each additional registration period at least 48 hours before it starts.

Z5) The organization team may prohibit competitors from participating in specific combinations of events.